MasterChef Australia is an Australian cooking competition show that follows the format of the original British MasterChef. It is created by Endemol Shine Australia and aired on Network 10. Until 2019, the show’s main judges were restaurateur and chef Gary Mehigan, chef George Calombaris, and food critic Matt Preston, who were replaced by Series 4 winner and chef Andy Allen, food critic Melissa Leong, and restaurateur and chef Jock Zonfrillo.
In addition to the main series, MasterChef Australia has spawned a number of spin-off programs. These include Celebrity MasterChef Australia, in which famous people compete as contestants, Junior MasterChef Australia, which focuses on younger participants, MasterChef Australia All-Stars, which features former contestants from the first three series, and MasterChef Australia: The Professionals, which features professional chefs as contestants. Dessert Masters, a prospective spin-off, will spotlight the skills of professional pastry chefs.
The new season of MasterChef Australia, themed Secrets & Surprises, was announced during the October 2022 upfronts presented by Paramount and Network 10. The season featured 18 new contestants, with 17 of them being new to the show. Returning judges Andy Allen, Melissa Leong, and Jock Zonfrillo, who sadly died on April 30, 2023, were on the judging panel. Prior to Zonfrillo’s death, filming for the season had already been completed in March 2023.
The series was initially intended to premiere on 1 May 2023. Following Zonfrillo’s death on 30 April, a day before the season premiere, it was confirmed that the show’s premiere would be postponed. Network 10 announced on May 3, 2023, that the season would really debut on May 7, 2023. A special Zonfrillo-themed episode of The Sunday Project preceded the launch.
The fifteenth season of MasterChef Australia was premiered on May 7, 2023, on Network 10 and 10 Play. The show is available for streaming on 10 and 10 Play from 7:30 pm every Sunday to Thursday.
The series was won by Brent Draper, who previously appeared in series 13 but withdrew for mental health reasons. {Source: TVtonight.com}
Contestants:
- Adi Nevgi
- Brent Draper
- Cath Collins
- Declan Cleary
- Malissa Fedele
- Ralph Kahango
- Rhiannon Anderson
- Rue Mupedzi
- Theo Loizou
- Antonio Cruz Vaamonde
- Grace Jupp
- Phil Conway
- Robbie Cooper
- Alice Han
- Amy Tanner
- Larissa Sewell
- Jessica Perri
- Andrea Puglisi
Quick Info regarding MasterChef Australia (Season 15):
- Genre: Cooking
- Created by: Frank Roddam
- Directed by: Richard Franc
- Presented by: Sarah Wilson
- Judges: Andy Allen, Melissa Leong, Jock Zonfrillo
- Executive producer: Charles Valencia
- Country of origin: Australia
- Original language: English
- No. of seasons: 15
- Original network: Network 10
- Number of Contestants: 18
- No. of episodes: 31
- Production Company: FremantleMedia Australia (2009–10) and Endemol Shine Australia (2011–)
- Release Date: May 7, 2023 {Source: Official Instagram, Wikipedia}
